coatsJames Preston Coats passed from this world on Saturday, August 4, 2012 at 2:00 pm at Brownwood Regional Hospital.
Jim was born of Cherokee Scottish heritage on November 23, 1934 in Elk City, Oklahoma to George McKenzie Coats and Tookah Belle West Coats. He was united in marriage to the late Juanell Maxwell Coats on July 6, 1953 in Lovington, New Mexico. Jim was a 39 year-resident of Proctor, Texas.
Jim honorable served his country as a technical sergeant in the United States Air Force for twenty years. He earned a top secret security clearance working as a German and Russian linguist, transcribe, and analysis. He was stationed in Berlin, Germany in 1958-1961 before the Berlin Wall was constructed and again in 1966 – 1969 while the city was occupied by American, British and French forces in the western section of the city. Jim completed his military career in 1973 serving at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland. Upon retirement from the military, Jim moved his family to Proctor community. He attended Tarleton State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Science in Social Welfare. He continued his education by working one year on a Master’s in Business Administration. Jim worked as a manager for Sunbeam Manufacturing Company in Snyder and as a mental health worker for Pecan Valley MHMR. He worked as House parent for Texas Youth Commission in Brownwood and a jailor with Comanche County Sheriff’s department. Jim taught distributive education for several years at Hamilton High School. In his last years, Jim Coats served as the Comanche County Veteran’s service officer and served as the commander of the local Disabled American Veterans group.
Jim Coats was preceded in death by two sons, Randall Bruce and David James, his granddaughter Destiny Jade Thurman and by his beloved wife of 50 years, Juanell.
He is survived by four children. The eldest is Laura Satterfield and her husband, Craig with Laura’s children Micah Thornton; Sarah Kate Sawyer (Tom) and children Cody, Gage, Emersen, and Thomas Owen; and Bethany Airhart (Rob) with Beth’s children Braden, Ryan, and Jacob. Jim’s second child is Cathy Kelton and her husband Sam with Cathy’s children Ben (Nikki) and his children Avary, River, and Ella; Matthew (Misty) and his child Olivia; and Elizabeth. Jim’s third surviving child is George and his child Chad, and Jim’s youngest child, Jennifer James and her husband Gerald with Jenny’s children Nicki (Ben) and her child Payton and Brian (Dianelle) and his child Corbin. Jim leaves behind many special friends scattered all over the world including
George Adams, retired to Australia from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Ted Brown in Omaha, NE, and Bill Burhans in Florida